Veterinary&#39;s operating-table.



.110. 847,180. 'PATENTED MAR. 12. 1907.

W. EoUsAM. VETEEINA'EYS OPERATING TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNB4 1906 ATTORNEYS' a SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. 1 \\...Um. lli1 .\1 I I NITED STATES PATENT onirica. l

VETERINARYS OPERATING-TABLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 12, 1907.

Application filed June 4, 1906. Serial No. 320,087:

T0 all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HoUsAM, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of OFallon, in the county of St. Olair and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Veterinarys Operating-Table, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to operating-tables, and especially to such as are used by veterinary surgeons.

The object of the invention is to produce a table of this kind which may be readily operated so as to enable the animal to be securely held thereupon and brought into a convenient position for the operation.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is an elevation of the table taken from the rear side with the cover of the table moved down into a substantially vertical plane. Fig. 2 is a plan 'of the table, showing the cover in its horizontal position. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1 and showing the cover in its substantially vertical position. Fig. 4 is a crosssection taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2 and representing the cover of the table in its horizontal position; and Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken through the end of an adjusting-shaft, by means of which the cover of the table is brought into its different positions.

Referring more particularly to the parts, 1 represents a platform or base adapted to rest upon the floor. At a suitable point on this platform upwardly-extending standards 2 are arranged. Within the upper portion of these standards there is rotatably mounted a rock-shaft 3, which shaft is rigidly attached to cross-heads 4, said cross-heads being two in number, as shown, and having a plurality of longitudinally-disposed bars 5 attached rigidly to the upper sides thereof. These bars, together with the cross-heads, constitute a frame to which the table cover or top 6 is rigidly attached. Y y

Rotatably mounted in the lower portion of the standards 2 I provide an adjusting-shaft 7, which extends longitudinally ofthe platform 1, as indicated. At a suitable point this adjusting-shaft is provided with a rigid sprocket-wheel 8, as shown in Fig. 3, and upon this sprocket-wheel a sprocket-chain 9 is mounted. One extremity of the chain 9 is attached to an inclined bracket 10, which is rigidly secured to the under side of the table, as shown, and the opposite end of this chain is attached to one of the longitudinal bars 5, the points of attachment of the chain being on opposite sides of the rock-shaft 3. From this arrangement it should be understood that by rotating the shaft 7 one end portion of the chain may be taken up while the other end portion will be paid out. In this way the rotation of the shaft will be the means of rotating the cover into a substantially vertical position, as shown in Fig. 3. One extremity of the adjusting-shaft 7 extends well beyond the edge of the cover, as indicated in Fig. 2, at which point it is rotatably mounted in a suitable bearing 11, attached to the platform. Adjacent to this bearing I provide acollar 12, which is ri id on the shaft, and this collar presents a p urality of circumferentially-disposed openings 13. Loosely mounted at this point on the shaft 7 I provide a lever 14, which is provided with locking mechanism 15, said mechanismcomprising a pin 16, which is normally held, by means of a spring 17, in engagement with one of the aforesaid openings 13. This lever affords means for rotating the shaft. The pin 16 is carried upon a finger-lever 18, which is pivotally mounted at 19 on the lever 14, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 5. By pressing this hand-lever inwardly in opposition to the spring 17 the spring 16 will be withdrawn from engagement with the collar 12. With this arrangement the lever may be released and by a rocking movement thereof may rotate the adjusting-shaft intermittently, it being understood that when the pin 16 is disengaged the lever may be moved freely to one side or the other, so as to engage a distant opening.

I provide means for locking the adjustingshaft in any position desired. For this purpose the shaft 7 is extended beyond the lever 14. and provided with a rigid head 20. This head is provided in its periphery with a pluralityfof openings 21, and any one of these openings may be engaged by a pin 22, which projects upwardly from the upper face of a rooA IIO

lower side as viewed in Fig. l-is of reduced length, and near its lower edge I provide bobble-straps 26 and l27 disposed in pairs, as shown. These hobble-straps simply consist of short straps. presenting buckles, and they are adapted to be attached at the horses fetlocks, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. The bobble-straps 27, which constitute the innermost pair, are attached to chains 28, which pass through the openings 29, formed in the cover, to the under or rear side thereof. These chains are attached to hobble-levers 30, which levers are loosely mounted upon therock-shaft 3, as shown mostclearly in Fig. 4. By moving the levers in the direction of the openings, as viewed in Fig. 4, a

uantity of the chain will be allowed to pass t rough 'the opening 29, so as to enable the straps 27 to be applied to the animals limb. These levers are adapted to fold close against the underside ofthe table-cover and may be retained in -this position by means of turnbuttons or clips 31, which are pivotally attachedto the under sides ofthe cross-heads 4, as shown. The hobble-straps 26 are attached directlyto the upper face ofthe table.

Near the middle portion of the table-top 6 a'pair of oppositely-disposed girth-openings 32 are provided. Through these openings girths`33 respectively pass, one extremity of said girths being attached to the rear or under face ofthe table, as shown in Fig. 4. The other extremities of these girths 33 are attached to and are adapted to wind upon a girth-shaft 34, which is rotatably mounted in suitable brackets 35 at the edge of the table, which constitutes the upper edge of the table when the top is occupying the vertical position shown in Fig. 1. In order to provide means for rotating and securing the shaft 34 in any desired position so as to adjust the girths, I provide the same with a rigid ratchet-wheel 36, which ratchet-wheel is provided with a plurality of openings 37, as indicatedin Fig. 3. Loosely mounted on the shaft I provide a lever 38, having a locking mechanism 39 similar to the locking mechanism 1 5 described in connection with the lever 14fand comprising a pin which may project into any of the openings 37 and be released by a finger-lever 40, pivotally attached to the lever 38'. In order to lock the ratchetwheel 36 on the shaft 34 against a r'etrogressive movement, I provide a pawl 41, which is pivotally attached to the table-top, and the tip of this pawl engages the teeth of the ratchet-wheel, as shown. Near the ends of the table-top openings 42 are provided, between which extends a body-rope 43, which passes through the openings and is adapted to pass longitudinally over the body of the horse. In order to facilitate the attachment of the ends of this rope on the under or rear side of the table, I provide cleats 44, as indicated in Fig. 1.

On the ends of the cross-heads 4, which tip upwardly, and on the under sides thereof, I attach diagonal braces 45. The lower ends of these braces are not attached to the upj rights 2, but are adapted to abut against the same when the table-top is in its horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 4. The lower eX- tremities of these braces are provided with a notch 46, and these notches are adapted to cooperate respectively with catches 47, as indicated in Fig. 4. In this way when the table is in its horizontal position the. braces tend to maintainv it so. The upper sideof the table-top is provided with a cushion'or pad 43, which is adaptedto increase the comfort of the animal lying upon the table and tends to prevent injury.

When the animal is to be attached to the table, the lever 14 is operated so as to bring the table into the position shown in Fig. 3, whereupon the animal is led upon the latform. The body-rope is now passed a ong the body and its ends are made secure at the rear side of the cover. The animal is then pulled to the table and the girths passed under the belly, after which the girths are tightened by means of the lever. The hobble-straps are then attached to the animals feet. The table-top may be then turned back into its horizontal position, so that the animal lying thereupon will occupy substantially the position indicated in the dotted lines in Fig. 2.

In order to hold the animals neck, I provide neck-straps 49, which pass through slits 50 in the table-top. By reason of thefact that I provide two of these neck-straps the animal may be attached as readily with'one side toward the table as with the other, enabling the operation to be performed at the right or left side. In order to increase ythe rigidity of the standards 2, I provide the same on their outer sides with diagonal braces 51, which attach to the upper face of the platform 1, as indicated.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secur'e'by Letters Patent- In an operating-table, in combination, a platform, a table-top adapted to rock from a vertical to a horizontal position, means for supporting said table top, an adjustingshaft rotatably mounted on said platform, a

`connection from said shaft to said table-top I name to this specification inthe presence of for controlling the same, means for locking two subscribing Witnesses.

said adjusting-shaft in a fixed position a le- Ver loosely mounted on said adjusting-shaft, WILLIAM HOUSAM' 5 and means for locking said lever to said ad- Witnesses:

justing-shaft for rotating the same. I WM. A. KoENIGsTEIN,

In testimony whereof I have signed my l E. H. SMILEY. 

